The Orang Asal are the

indigenous people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...

. The term is Malay for "Original People", used to refer to the aboriginals of

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

, and

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...

. These groups are given the

Bumiputera Bumiputera or Bumiputra, which is a Malay word, comes from the Sanskrit word ''Bhumiputra'' which may be transliterated as "son of earth" or "son of the soil" (Bhūmi; भूमि = earth; putra = son). It has different definitions in Brunei and M ...

status in Malaysia. The Orang Asal in Peninsular Malaysia are collectively known as the Orang Asli, and are minorities on the Peninsula, whereas the Orang Asal of

East Malaysia East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. Near the coast of Sabah is a small archipelago called Labuan. East Malaysia li ...

form a majority of the population.

Etymology

The term "Orang Asal" means "Original People". It was originally used by Communist insurgents in the Malayan Emergency in order to gain the support of these tribal groups.

Status

The government considers most Orang Asal to be

and grants them certain privileges. However, their societies remain marginalised, and they have been labelled as "second-class Bumiputeras" in contrast with the ethnic Malays. An ongoing issue is in regards to land, which is often taken for development purposes. This has caused many issues, including court cases and divisions between federal and state governments. In addition,

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corruption, corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, o ...

often occurs on what is considered traditional land of the Orang Asal. Issues have also occurred in relation to immigration, with immigrants often given identity cards ahead of the Orang Asal. In addition, many have also been pressed to assimilate into mainstream culture and convert to Islam. Orang Asal are often moved in response to development; the incomplete

Bakun Dam The Bakun Dam is an embankment dam located in Belaga District, Kapit Division, Sarawak, Malaysia, on the Balui River, a tributary or source of the Rajang River and some sixty kilometres east of Belaga. As part of the project, the second talle ...

in Sarawak has forced 11,000 to move.

Divisions

Orang Asal are located throughout Malaysia, making up 11% of the population, about 2.1 million people. Orang Asal is an overarching term, encompassing all indigenous people on both Peninsula and

. Those on the Peninsula are known more specifically as the Orang Asli; they number around 149,500 and make up only 0.7% of the total Malaysian population. They are officially 19 ethnic subgroups, classed as either Negrito, Senoi, or Proto-Malay. Some numbers differ, but East Malaysia contains a total of about 64 indigenous groups, around 39 in

and 25 in

. The Orang Asal make up 60% of Sabah's population, and 50% of Sarawak's population. Sabah's population is hugely diverse, with over 50 languages and 80 dialects spoken. The largest group on Sarawak is the

Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture The Ibans or Sea Dayaks are a branch of the Dayak people, Dayak people on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is believed that the ...

Culture

The Orang Asal have their own religions and customs, as well as unique languages. The languages spoken are generally from the Austronesian and

Austroasiatic The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are th ...

language families. The languages of the peninsula can be grouped into Negrito, Senoi, and Malayic, which together can be divided into about 18 subgroups. However, all these languages are in danger of being lost as the children in the tribes learn Malay and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. The primary languages in East Malaysia are

Kadazan-Dusun Kadazan-Dusun (also written as Kadazandusun or Mamasok Kadazan-Dusun) also less-known as "Mamasok Sabah" are two indigenous peoples of Sabah, Malaysia—the ethnic groups Kadazan and Dusun. The Kadazandusun is the largest native group of Bu ...

and

, both used by many indigenous groups. In contrast to the indigenous languages of the peninsula, these languages are commonly used in everyday life. In the peninsula each subgroup is culturally distinct from the others, with lifestyles varying from fishermen to farmers to hunter-gatherers. Although many are now settled due to the intrusion of modern life, some remain semi-nomadic. The people of Sabah are traditionally subsistence farmers, although nowadays they are becoming more involved in local government. Many Orang Asal in Sarawak subsist on rice, supplementing the meal with hunting. Some also remain semi-nomadic. The Orang Asal of East Malaysia are known for their artwork such as wooden masks.

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Malaysia Racial and religious quotas in Malaysia Discrimination in Malaysia

Etymology

Status

Divisions

Culture

See also

References